Tucson travels

January 18, 2017

Last week I returned from a trip back home to Tucson where I spent a couple weeks soaking up as much sunshine, burritos and tequila as my body could handle. Which, truth be told, wasn’t much as unfortunately I was struck down with the flu a couple days after arriving, and spent 4 days bed-bound, and several more just floating around in a haze while I recovered. It was so bad that I lost 6 pounds. BUT! Not to worry – I more than made up for it once I felt ok again and I can confirm that every last pound has been reclaimed. Which leads me to the first part of my blog…

FOOD

Some of the restaurants I visited on this trip have been reviewed in previous Tucson posts, so rather than going into detail about them, I’m simply going to list them with a link and a few photos. But feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section!

Blue Willow – my go-to brunch spot. They have an awesome vegan menu and the indoor/outdoor seating area is so charming.

vegan breakfast burrito – tofu, potatoes and guacamole

La Cocina – one of my favorite places in Tucson. It’s located downtown in the Old Artisan’s village and is Tucson’s best kept secret. The courtyard is the perfect spot to sit and have a drink or dinner when the sun is shining.

I managed about half, as I was still suffering from the flu at this point

a few days earlier I made my vegan smoked cheese ball for the winter solstice and we had tamales + bean chili for our main course

HIKING

Tucson is amazing for outdoor enthusiasts. We managed to hit nearly all of my favorite hikes, and they were just as beautiful as I remember. Plus, the washes were all flowing as we had a LOT of rain over Christmas.

Milagrosa Canyon

scaling the walls in Milagrosa Canyon

the beginning of our hike to Bridal Wreath Falls

the top of Bridal Wreath Falls

the start of Soldier’s Trail

hiking along the wash on Soldier’s Trail

forging the river on Soldier’s Trail

views from Soldier’s Trail

hike to Tanque Verde Falls

the bottom of the Tanque Verde Falls (and the calmest water)

Tanque Verde Falls

Bushwhacking to “the secret pools”

the secret pools

all the washes were flowing after the rainstorms

SIGHTSEEING

There is so much to do in Tucson and Arizona in general, and I only got to do about half of the things I wanted to on this trip.

The changing Tucson skyline – I could never tire of the desert sky

Air and Space Museum – the museum is incredibly large and informative, with several hangers full of planes and memorabilia. My favourite part though is the outdoor airplane graveyard.

Bike riding – Tucson is a hot spot for cyclists as we enjoy good weather year-round. Hop on a bike and ride a portion of “The Loop” – 100+ miles of paved pathways around the city.

we managed 22 miles of the loop – not bad going!

The Botanical Gardens – located mid-town on the site of the historic Porter property, Reader’s Digest named Tucson Botanical Gardens as the best Secret Garden in America, and it’s easy to see why.

the butterfly exhibit

The Frida Kahlo exhibit was on while we were there – all the way from NYC!

Sports – there is always something happening sports-wise in Tucson. While we were there we got to enjoy a basketball game at my old University.

Go Cats!

It was another really lovely trip back home and I was sad to see it end, but I’m ready for big things this year. Here’s to a happy, healthy and productive 2017!